Korean figure skater Lee Hae-in wins gold at Four Continents

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Korean figure skater Lee Hae-in wins gold at Four Continents

Published: 12 Feb. 2023, 15:39 Updated: 12 Feb. 2023, 17:39

Lee Hae-in performs at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado on Friday. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Lee Hae-in topped the podium at the prestigious Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado on Friday, becoming the first Korean to take gold since the inimitable Kim Yuna in 2009.

Lee, 17, topped the women’s singles with 210.84 points at the international skating tournament.

The Four Continents is an annual figure skating tournament in which non-European skaters compete. The United States, Japan, Canada and China have long dominated the tournament, winning over 260 medals between them out of a possible 276 since the foundation of the tournament in 1999.

The United States and Japan, in particular, have been the strongest gold medal contenders in the women’s singles competition, winning 22 out of 24 gold medals.

Kim, who won gold in Vancouver in 2009, was the first and only Korean skater to do so in the women’s singles.

At this year's tournament, Lee was in sixth place after earning 69.13 points in the short program on Thursday and needed over 140 points in the free skating to have a chance of winning a gold medal.

“I focused on stamina since Colorado is a high-elevation site,” Lee told the ISU media team after the short program. “I want to get a good score with a good performance in the free skating and get on the podium.”

Lee proved her class in the free skate, with a score of 141.71 points, ultimately winning the coveted gold medal.

Lee’s gold medal is not only Korea’ first gold medal in 14 years, but also shows her improvement after winning silver at the same event a year earlier.

Lee earned 213.52 points last year, putting her in second place after Mai Mihara of Japan triumphed with 218.03 points.

Lee’s biggest competitor this year was not Mihara, but her own teammate Kim Ye-lim, who joined her on the podium in second place after taking a bronze last year.

Kim Ye-lim, 20, won silver with 209.29 points, beating Mone Chiba of Japan by five points.

With Lee and Kim Ye-lim taking the gold and silver medals, it marks the first ever time when a Korean duo has ranked first and second at the Four Continents.

From left: Silver medalist Kim Ye-lim, gold medalist Lee Hae-in and bronze medalist Mone Chiba pose for a photo at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado on Feb. 10. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Lee and Kim Ye-lim were already the first Korean skaters to share a Four Continents podium when they won silver and bronze last year.

Both skaters have improved significantly since they made their international debut.

Lee made her first international appearance at the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships, where she finished 10th, while Kim Ye-lim finished in eighth position in her first Four Continents in 2019. Kim Ye-lim also represented Korea at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finishing in ninth place overall.

The two Korean medalists are returning to Korea on Tuesday and will likely compete in the World Figure Skating Championships next month in Saitama, Japan.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]